Biden administration responds to Iran's offer on nuke deal
The Biden administration says it has responded to Iran’s latest offer to resume its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, but neither side is offering a definitive path to revive the agreement, which has been on life-support since former President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018.
US, Iran inch closer to nuke deal but high hurdles remain
The Biden administration is expected to weigh in this week on Iran’s latest offer to resume its compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, but neither side is offering a definitive path to revive the agreement, which has been on life-support since former President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018.
Israeli ministers to run as partners in upcoming elections
JERUSALEM — (AP) — The leaders of two parties in Israel's outgoing government coalition announced Sunday that they would run as political partners in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Israel will hold its fifth elections in under four years in November after the government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett collapsed last month. The previous four elections were largely referendums on longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu's fitness to serve as prime minister while under indictment for corruption. Gantz, a former army chief of staff, heads the centrist Blue and White party and serves as Israel's defense minister. Saar is a former member of the once-dominant Likud party who broke ranks and formed his hawkish New Hope party.
wftv.comIsrael's parliament dissolves, sets 5th election in 4 years
Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, right, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid talk ahead of the vote on a bill to dissolve parliament, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Thursday, June 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel’s parliament voted Thursday to dissolve itself and send the country to the polls in November for the fifth time in less than four years. Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister and architect of the outgoing coalition government, will become the country’s caretaker prime minister just after midnight on Friday. He will be the 14th person to hold that office, taking over from Naftali Bennett, Israel's shortest serving prime minister. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comIsraeli PM Bennett won't run in upcoming election
JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will not run in upcoming elections, his office said Wednesday, after he led a broad but fragile coalition government that came unraveled barely a year after taking office. The government announced last week that it would dissolve the Knesset ahead of elections expected this fall, but the voting required for dissolution has been bogged down by disputes with the opposition. Bennett’s office said he has informed members of his right-wing Yamina party that he will not run in the next elections, expected in October or November. He will continue to serve as alternate prime minister in a caretaker government to be led by Yair Lapid, the architect of the coalition who is currently foreign minister. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comIsraeli PM Bennett won't run in upcoming election
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who led a broad but fragile coalition government that came unraveled barely a year after taking office, announced Wednesday that he will not run in upcoming elections. Bennett’s office said he will continue to serve as alternate prime minister in a caretaker government to be led by Yair Lapid, the architect of the coalition who is currently foreign minister. Bennett embodies many of the contradictions that animate his small country.
news.yahoo.comLapid, set to be Israel's next premier, faces critical test
Israel politics Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks during a joint statement with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 20, 2022. Next week, he is expected to assume his biggest role yet — as the new prime minister. Following the government’s decision to dissolve parliament, Lapid, now foreign minister, is set to take office as caretaker prime minister until elections in the fall. As caretaker prime minister, he is unlikely to launch any major military operations or bold peace initiatives with the Palestinians. “His new post, from next week on, as interim prime minister is his greatest asset going into the election.”Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comIsraeli government fast-tracks bill to dissolve parliament
Israel politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, left, speaks during a joint statement with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 20, 2022. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. A parliamentary committee approved holding a preliminary vote to dissolve parliament on Wednesday, with a final vote expected early next week. Israeli law does not explicitly state that a politician under indictment may not become prime minister. Along with the bill to dissolve parliament, he said he would advance legislation on Wednesday to bar a lawmaker under indictment from assuming the premiership.
wftv.comIsraeli government fast-tracks bill to dissolve parliament
Israel politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, left, speaks during a joint statement with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 20, 2022. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. A parliamentary committee approved holding a preliminary vote to dissolve parliament on Wednesday, with a final vote expected early next week. Israeli law does not explicitly state that a politician under indictment may not become prime minister. Along with the bill to dissolve parliament, he said he would advance legislation on Wednesday to bar a lawmaker under indictment from assuming the premiership.
wftv.comIsrael coalition to fast-track bill to dissolve parliament
Israel politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, left, speaks during a joint statement with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 20, 2022. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) (Maya Alleruzzo)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's outgoing coalition government will fast-track a bill this week to dissolve parliament, setting up the country for its fifth elections in three years, a Cabinet minister said Tuesday. A series of defections from his Yemina party had stripped the coalition of its majority in parliament. Israeli law does not explicitly state that a politician under indictment may not become prime minister.
wftv.comIsrael to dissolve parliament, call 5th election in 3 years
Israel Politics FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Bennett has struggled to keep his unruly coalition of eight parties together, and defections have left the crumbling alliance without a majority in parliament for over two months. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File) (Abir Sultan)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel’s weakened coalition government decided Monday to dissolve parliament and call a new election, the country's fifth in three years. The vote, expected this fall, could bring about the return of a nationalist religious government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another prolonged period of political gridlock. It included a diverse array of parties, from dovish factions that support an end to Israel's occupation of lands captured in 1967, to hard-line parties that oppose Palestinian independence.
wftv.comIsraeli government dissolves parliament, calls new elections
Israel Politics FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Bennett’s office announced Monday, June 20, 2022, that his weakened coalition will be disbanded and the country will head to new elections. The previous four elections, focused on Netanyahu's fitness to rule while on trial for corruption charges, ended in deadlock. It included a diverse array of parties, from dovish factions that support an end to Israel's occupation of lands captured in 1967, to hard-line parties that oppose Palestinian independence. Often described as a political “experiment,” it made history by becoming the first Israeli coalition government to include an Arab party.
wftv.comIsrael coalition agrees to dissolve, hold new elections
JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office announced Monday that his weakened coalition will be disbanded and the country will head to new elections. Bennett has struggled to keep his unruly coalition of eight parties together, and defections have left the crumbling alliance without a majority in parliament for over two months. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. Lapid is then to serve as caretakever prime minister. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comIsrael to dissolve parliament, call 5th election in 3 years
Israel’s weakened coalition government announced Monday that it would dissolve parliament and call new elections, setting the stage for the possible return to power of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another period of prolonged political gridlock. The election will be Israel's fifth in three years, and it will put the polarizing Netanyahu, who has been the opposition leader for the past year, back at the center of the political universe. While opinion polls project Netanyahu, who is now on trial, as the front-runner, it is far from certain that his Likud party can secure the required parliamentary majority to form a new government.
news.yahoo.comIsraeli PM Bennett in snap UAE visit amid standoff with Iran
TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was on a surprise visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, a snap trip that came as efforts to salvage a deal over Iran's nuclear program were stalled amid a deepening standoff with Tehran. It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and addresses Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel’s borders. Talks in Vienna over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal have been stalled since April. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though U.N. experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003. Israel and the UAE agreed to thaw ties under the U.S. brokered agreements known as the “Abraham Accords,” which saw similar deals struck with Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
wftv.comIsraeli coalition suffers loss, faces uncertain prospects
Israel Politics FILE - A general view shows the West Bank Jewish Jewish settlement of Efrat, Thursday, March 10, 2022. Now, one of those very issues — Palestinian statehood and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank — risks toppling it. One of the parties deliberating over its vote is Ra'am, an Arab Islamist group that made history as the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis reside in over 120 settlements dotting the West Bank, along with more than 2.5 million Palestinians. For Jewish settlers in the West Bank, most of Israel’s criminal and civilian laws apply.
wftv.comIsraeli coalition suffers loss, faces uncertain prospects
Israel’s government on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections for settlers in the occupied West Bank, marking a major setback for the fragile coalition that could hasten its demise and send the country to new elections. The failure to renew the bill also highlighted the separate legal systems in the West Bank, where nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship while some 3 million Palestinians live under military rule that is now well into its sixth decade. Three major human rights groups have said the situation amounts to apartheid, an allegation Israel rejects as an assault on its legitimacy.
news.yahoo.comIsraeli PM defends march marked by violence, racism
Israel Palestinians Palestinians and Jewish youths clash in Jerusalem's Old City as Israelis mark Jerusalem Day, an Israeli holiday celebrating the capture of the Old City during the 1967 Mideast war. But Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, see the march as a provocation. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday defended the decision to hold an annual march that celebrates Israel's takeover of east Jerusalem and was marked by violence and anti-Palestinian racism. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. The site, which is the holiest for Jews and the third holiest in Islam, has frequently been the epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
wftv.comEmbattled Israeli leader vows to keep government afloat
APTOPIX Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett pauses during the opening of the summer session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, May 9, 2022. That has set the stage for a possible attempt by the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to topple the government later this week. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) (Maya Alleruzzo)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's embattled prime minister on Monday vowed to continue to lead the country as his shaky government limped into the opening of parliament's summer session on the verge of collapse. That has set the stage for a possible attempt by the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to topple the government later this week. “We are going to continue with victories, to sustain an excellent government in the state of Israel for the citizens of Israel,” Bennett said.
wftv.comIsraeli PM's government limps into new parliament session
Israel Politics FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday, May 1, 2022. “Everyone understands that we’re at a crossroads that can bring about, heaven forbid, elections in Israel," he told the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. A second member followed suit last month, leaving the coalition and opposition equally divided in the 120-seat parliament. Abbas has not said whether he will resume cooperation or join the opposition in attempts to topple the coalition this week. Netanyahu is weighing whether to introduce a motion this week to dissolve parliament and trigger new elections.
wftv.comIsrael army shoots Palestinian while crossing from West Bank
(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool) (Maya Alleruzzo)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry said Sunday that a Palestinian man died after he was shot by Israeli troops near a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. In a separate incident, a Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. “The Israeli government’s main goal is to restore personal security to Israeli citizens,” he said. Images in Israeli media showed masked security forces confronting the men, who appeared to be beneath a green shrub in a rugged patch of land. Nearly 30 Palestinians have died in violence — most of whom had carried out attacks or were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank.
wftv.comIsrael captures Palestinians who killed 3 in stabbing attack
(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool) (Maya Alleruzzo)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israeli police said Sunday forces captured two Palestinians who killed three people in a stabbing attack last week and fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt and keeping the country on edge. The stabbing was the latest in a series of deadly assaults deep inside the country in recent weeks. Israel says the policy of demolishing homes of Palestinians who kill Israelis serves to deter would-be attackers, while rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment. Nearly 30 Palestinians have died in violence — most of whom had carried out attacks or were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank. But an unarmed woman and two apparent bystanders were also among those killed and rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.
wftv.comBlinken set to see Israelis, Arabs wary about Iran, Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to use his three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa to reassure wary Israelis and Arabs that the Biden administration is committed to the region’s security at a time when Washington is confronting multiple foreign policy challenges.